Science and Policy Issues in Establishing Canadian MPAs

1. Science and Policy Issues
in
Establishing
Canadian Marine Protected Areas
R.J. Payne
Lakehead University
Presentation to the
Centre for Marine and Coastal Policy Research
University of Plymouth
October, 2011

2. Establishing Canadian MPAs
Introduction
● Canada
● Case Studies:
– Scott Islands Marine Wildlife Area
– The Gully MPA
– Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area
● Steps to a Network of MPAs
● Issues and Questions

3. 1 Scott Islands MWA; 2 The Gully MPA; 3 Lake Superior National Marine
Conservation Area

4. Establishing Canadian MPAs
Scott Islands MWA
● Proposed (currently an IBA)
● Legislation: Canada Wildlife
Act (amended 1994)
● Agency: Canadian Wildlife
Service (Environment Canada)
● Purpose: wildlife (seabirds)
habitat and nesting area
protection
● PNCIMA (DFO), under the
Oceans Act

5. Establishing Canadian MPAs
The Gully MPA
● Established; promoted by
WWF (Canada)
● Legislation: Oceans Act
● Agency: Department of
Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)
● Purpose: significant feature
protection
● Scotian Shelf IMA (DFO)

6. Establishing Canadian MPAs
Lake Superior NMCA
● Established; Parks Canada's
scientific assessment
● Legislation: NMCA Act
● Agency: Parks Canada
(Environment Canada)
● Purpose: representative
marine area (29 regions)
● Province of Ontario

8. Establishing Canadian MPAs
Issues and Questions
● Canada-Provinces
● Canada-Aboriginal people
– Nunavut: Inuit
– Rest of Canada: First Nations
● Network of MPAs
– DFO lead role, under Oceans Act, in the three oceans
– Funding?
● A cut of $55 million from operating budget in 2011

9. Establishing Canadian MPAs
Issues and Questions (Cont'd)
● Network of Protected Areas
– e.g., Cape Scott Provincial Park and Scott Islands MWA
● MPAs and Integrated Management Areas
– Development – protection balance?
– Local stakeholders?
● Assessing MPA Effectiveness:
– Ecological: DFO MPAs have no particular purpose
– Socio-economic: Impact and Benefit Agreements
● Nunavut mandatory
● Elsewhere?

10. Establishing Canadian MPAs
Questions?

11. Establishing Canadian MPAs
References
Canada, 1985. Canada Wildlife Act, http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/W-9/
Canada, 1996. Oceans Act, http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/O-2.4/
Canada, 2002. National Marine Conservation Areas Act,
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-7.3/index.html
Canadian Wildlife Service, 2004. Establishment of the Scott Islands Marine Wildlife Area (MWA),
http://bolt.lakeheadu.ca/~bpaynewww/CMR/background_e.pdf
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2004. The Gully Marine Protected Area,
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/back-fiche/2004/hq-ac61a-eng.htm
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2011. National Framework for Canada's Network of Marine Protected Areas,
Ottawa.
Impact and Benefit Agreement (IBA) Research Network, (no date), http://www.impactandbenefit.com/
Parks Canada, 2011. Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area,
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/amnc-nmca/on/super/index.aspx